Ross Island Trail System

McMurdo Station & Scott Base, Antarctica

Ross Island Trail System Recreational Routes CAL Seasonal Trail

Please visit the McMurdo Intranet eFoot Plan site for further route information (route marked with trail signs)
markers in mi (km): e.g. 1.22 (1.96)

CRL Castle Rock Loop Trail & CRS Castle Rock Summit Trail
(9.65 mi / 15.53 km) (0.1 mi / 0.17 km) IR Access Road
(shared with vehicles) CRS
This trip leads to the prominent landform called Castle Rock, named for its buttress-like shape. The Castle Rock routes are the
most ambitious hikes, ski or runs in the McMurdo area. As you traverse across the snow and ice field, you see the prominent 0.11 (0.17)
landform of Castle Rock ahead, spectacular views to the north, and the Transantarctic Mountains to the east. The route is also
a large loop that extends to Castle Rock and ends at Scott Base. More adventurous hikers may want to attempt the Castle Rock
Restricted Road Castle Rock
Summit route. This route entails scrambling, exposed rock faces and the use of a fixed line as a handhold and should never be (no recreational travel)
attempted without an experienced person in your group. The Castle Rock Summit is only open at certain periods due to safety CASTLE ROCK FALL CRL
concerns.
Check-in/Check-out January 30, 1995
1 death
(Building 182 Firehouse)
HPR Hut Point Ridge Loop Trail

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(2.63 mi / 4.24 km)
First Aid

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The Hut Point Ridge Loop Trail is one of the newest additions to recreation opportunities in the Ross Island area. Dedicated in

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December of 2004, it provides new terrain to explore and provides a different perspective of McMurdo Station and expansive

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views to the Transantarctic Mountains and across the sea ice to the north. Although many trails have been formed over the
Emergency Shelter

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years, you must remain on the marked route throughout the entire trail. Limiting contact to a single trail reduces the visible
impacts to our sensitive environment. This is especially important when in the vicinity of the Arrival Heights ASPA (Antarctic Sheppard
Emergency Phone
Specially Protected Area) No. 122. This area is set aside to provide a quiet, undisturbed area for sensitive science experiments
Crater

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and USAP members are not allowed to enter without permission.

Half Moon
Shuttle Stop

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CAL Cape Armitage Loop Trail
(5.25 mi / 8.44 km) Crater Emergency Shelter
Cape Armitage forms the south end of Hut Point Peninsula and the southernmost point on Ross Island. The Cape was
Miles ¼ ½

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discovered by the BrNAE (British National Antarctic Expedition) 1901-04, under Robert F. Scott and named by him for Lt. (later
Captain) Albert B. Armitage, second in command and navigator on the Discovery. Solitude, detachment from the hustle and
bustle of McMurdo and large vistas of the Transantarctic Mountains, White Island, Black Island, and the backside of Observation

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Hill await. The route, on the sea ice, is well flagged but use caution to not veer off route because many routes leading to fish Kilometers ½ 1
huts cross this trail. Winds can be strong on the sea ice and over the pass between McMurdo and Scott Base. Snow conditions
for cross-country skiing can vary from hard and firm to very soft.

KIWI

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Ob Hill Loop Trail & OHS Ob Hill Summit Trail SKI HILL
OHL

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(2.84 mi / 4.56 km) (0.39 mi / 0.63 km)
The Ob Hill Loop trail extends to Cape Armitage and around the back side of Observation (Ob) Hill via a land route. Peace and
solitude are experienced as you approach Cape Armitage from either direction. Ob Hill is has an elevation of 750 feet, so bring
a camera! Expect amazing views of McMurdo Station and the surrounding area. This is a great vantage point to orient McMurdo

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Station to many surrounding landmarks including Black Island, White Island, and Mount Erebus. The effort required to make it
to the summit are well worth the scenic and historical aspects. At the summit, visit the Memorial Cross, erected in 1913 by the
remaining members of the BrNAE (British National Antarctic Expedition), in memory of Captain Robert F. Scott's party, who
perished on the return journey from the South Pole in March of 1912.
Emergency Shelter

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HT Hillary Track

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(0.42 mi / 0.68 km)

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The Hillary Track, named for Sir Edmund Hillary, an accomplished New Zealand mountaineer having been the first to reach the

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summit of Mt. Everest and traverse to the South Pole overland by vehicle, provides a short off-road route to Scott Base via a track
that branches off the Scott Base Road just before the road starts its descent to Scott Base. Sir Edmund Hillary established the
New Zealand Station at Scott Base in 1957 at Pram Point. The track provides a pleasant alternative to walking along the road to POLAR BEAR
reach Scott Base from McMurdo Station.
CREVASSE FALL
POINT
November 23, 1986
2 deaths

LDB LDB (Long Duration Balloon) Road

(6.93 mi / 11.15 km one way)
To “Room

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The LDB Road begins at the Scott Base transition and ends at the Long Duration Balloon scientific facilities. This road provides
an opportunity to reach the Castle Rock Loop Trail and affords a flat but vista-rich opportunity to walk, ski and run to the end With A View”
point at LDB. The Long Duration Balloon facility launches several large balloons each season carrying payloads of various
experiments that are conducted as the balloons circle the continent in the upper atmosphere. The snow road is constructed on

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the permanent ice shelf that is gradually moving north to the Ross Sea.
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IR Ice Runway Road

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(2.04 mi / 3.28 km one way)
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The Ice Runway Road is located on annual sea ice covering McMurdo Sound. The road and airfield location are established
annually during WINFLY to provide a landing surface for wheeled aircraft. Preparation includes clearing and flagging the runway
for the arrival of the New York Air National Guard (NYANG) LC-130 aircraft from Stratton ANGB, Schenectady, NY, and the Kenn
Borek Air, Inc. Twin Otter and Basler DC-3 aircraft from Canada via South America and South Pole. This road is only open during
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the early part of the summer season and closes once temperatures begin to rise. The road becomes operational in mid-October
and shuttles begin regular service upon the arrival of the first LC-130.
Emergency Shelter

CRL
Arrival Heights
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(ASPA No. 122)

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NZ Telecom
CRL
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Radome
First CREVASSE FALL LDB
Crater February 9, 2000 1.1
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JPSS Radome See inset below

for continuation of
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HPR Starr
LDB Road
Lake

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NASA Radome
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Crater
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Twin Crater
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Black Knob
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Hill
EXPLOSIVES AREA

(RESTRICTED)

Building 183 LDB

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5 S COT T BA S E
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WINTER
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QUARTERS BAY Building 155 T-SITE P RES S U RE

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(RESTRICTED) 4 (0
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(RESTRIC TED) 0.5
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RI D G ES
Discovery Hut Derelict
HUT POINT (ASPA No. 158) Junction Building 142 Medical
( RES T RI CT ED )
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Building 182 Firehouse .68
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Road to HELO PAD
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(RESTRICTED) (0.55
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Cape Evans 35 0.29 (0.47) 0.34
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Building 84 COSRAY PRAM POINT
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0.24 OHS CRL Road to Long Duration

Balloon (LDB) Facility
OHL
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Memorial Cross 1.13 (

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FIELD SAFETY
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TRAINING
Observation Hill
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LDB
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OHL Emergency Shelter
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BALLOON (LDB)
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FACILITY
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CAL To Pegasus Blue

Ice Runway
½ mile
inset not to same scale as main map

IR CAPE ARMITAGE
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Ross Island Trail System Map Road to Sea

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Ice Runway
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Authorship:
Brad Herried, Polar Geospatial Center (PGC)
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Joe Heil, Antarctic Support Contract (ASC) CAL

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November 2012
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version 1.0 - updated November 15, 2012

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IR
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Data Sources:
2.0 meter resolution WorldView-2 satellite imagery background ©DigitalGlobe, Inc.
Imagery terrain-corrected but not ground-truthed
Imagery date September 26, 2012
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Trails, roads, photos and point-of-interest locations from USAP, PGC

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Antarctic Specially Protected Area (ASPA) boundaries from

Environmental Research & Assessment, 2012

Placenames derived from SCAR Composite Gazetteer of Antarctica

Map Information:
WGS84 Antarctic Polar Stereographic Projection
Central Meridian at 166°45'

PGC Ross Island Map Series SEA ICE RUNWAY (2012-13)

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PGC Reference ID: ANT REF-MS2011-003

Digital copy available on McMurdo Station Intranet
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See inset at right ½ mile

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Map for reference use only and not for resale or any commercial purpose
for continuation of
inset not to same scale as main map
Digital use (blogs, public viewing) allowed with explicit permission of the authors (email: pgc@umn.edu) Ice Runway Road